Ghost of You
by DeathlistProductions
Summary: When Alex is killed in a car crash, Max becomes a shell of his former self. He has lost his sister and confidant. Now he struggles unaware that he is being watched by his sister. Do not Read if you are against Same sex couples.


Ghost of You

Summary: When Alex died Max slipped into a deep depression, he'd lost his sister and confidant. He is no longer the Max every one knew. However Alex's spirit hasn't fully crossed over, instead she's stayed to help Max move on and cope with her death. (Do not read if you are offended by Same sex relationships.)

A/N: I've read several stories where Alex dies and either leaves behind something or stays to help or complicate Justin & Max's lives. I'm working with ideas given to me by a friend that have placed me outside my comfort zone on somethings. If you are offended by anything I apologize in advance. Takes place 3 years after the Movie.

Chapter One- Death in the Family

A few Months Earlier...

Max knocked on Alex's door, he had been talking with his sister every night that week hoping to tell her the one secret that scared the hell out him the most. Not because it was dangerous, but because he was afraid of how people would react.

"Come in Maxi." Alex's voice called from behind the door.

Max walked into Alex's room and sat down on the edge of the bed. He had really changed since their vacation. He was taller, less scrawnier he still did reckless things but he was slightly more mature now.

"What's up?" Alex asked as she placed the last of her things in a box. Alex was going to be heading off to college in a few weeks.

"I want to tell you something." Max said in a serious tone.

Alex stood stood straight at the tone of his voice and turned to see him, the look on Max's face had told her that this was going to be a serious talk tonight.

"What's wrong Maxi?" Alex asked as she sat beside her younger brother.

Max looked down at his feet and back up at Alex.

"You know how I've never really dated besides that one girl who took my lizard right?" Max asked.

"Yeah." Alex said confusion written on her face.

"Well there's a reason why I haven't really been dating." Max said.

Alex looked at her little brother he was acting extremely out of character even for him.

"Max?" Alex asked.

Max took a deep breath and looked at Alex a tear falling as he struggled to admit aloud what he had tried to deny for years.

"Alex I...I'm Gay." Max admitted.

Alex gasped covering her mouth and stared at him in shock.

"Please say something." Max said looking at the ground tears falling freely now.

"You're gay?" Alex asked.

Max nodded. "I tried so hard to be normal, to like girls but I...I can't. I just can't Alex." Max sobbed as Alex wrapped her arms around him allowing him to cry on her shoulder.

"Oh, Maxi. We're not normal to begin with, but just because you like guys doesn't mean you aren't normal." Alex said.

Max snorted and pulled away.

"That's not what dad says, you hear how he talks about the gay couples that walk into the substation. He acts all friendly but when he's in the kitchen he calls them freaks, and unnatural." Max said.

"Look at me Max, Dad may say a lot of thing and yeah, maybe he'll say some mean things to you when you tell him, but Dad will always love you. He just doesn't understand. I promise you Max that the day you tell Mom and Dad I'll stand right beside you." Alex said.

Max looked at Alex.

"Really?" Max asked.

Alex nodded with a smile.

"You can count on me Maxi." Alex said.

Max hugged Alex who held him tightly knowing that at that moment Max needed her. He had just revealed something that had been eating at him for who knew how long.

.

Present Day-

Max had grown closer to Alex that night, she became more protective of him and he was more open with her. Now he stood before her grave, his eyes puffy from the crying. Alex had died two weeks after their talk when a drunk driver hit her car while driving 250mph on the highway. Alex had been pronounced dead on the scene. Her death had really affected him, Alex had been his confidant, their was no one he could count on like Alex. She knew his darkest secrets and had been his friend and he could feel himself slipping everyday he couldn't see her. So he had begun to sneak off at night to visit her grave. It helped to temporarily ease the pain he felt everyday. He was upset and angry at her for leaving him.

"You lied to me Alex, you promised you'd be here for me." Max whispered as he sat beside her grave.

"I don't know if I can last much longer Alex. It's just so hard without you, I don't have anyone to talk to anymore." Max said.

Though he couldn't see it Alex was listening, in fact her spirit was sitting beside him listening as he told her about his day. After a while he fell asleep beside her grave at peace for the first time since her death.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself Maxi." Alex said gently brushing his hair out of his face.

Alex sighed as she noticed the bags under his eyes, her Maxi had died with her and she couldn't talk to him because she still didn't have the power to make herself seen or heard. It was hard for her to watch her brother slipping further and further away. He no longer spoke to his friends in School and he no longer spoke to their parents or Justin. She was sad to think that her death could have affected her little brother this much. She had never realized just how much Max relied on her for support. She was angry at herself for not seeing it the day he came out to her. It had to have been hard for him, because before than the most serious conversation they had up till that day was when she had confessed to him her belief that she was pregnant by Mason. She was angry at her parents whom where constantly fighting since her death, she had heard her mothers plan to leave her father taking Max with her when she moved out. They where going to be living a few blocks form her grave, because though she wouldn't call him out on it mom knew about Max's late night visits. Justin was taking her death just as hard, his grades where slipping and he was in danger of flunking out of college. Harper was a nervous wreck but she looked out for Max. Besides her Harper was the only person who knew that Max was gay. Max however never really got a chance to talk to Harper because Zeke was always trying to distract her and keep her mind off Alex, which meant keeping her away form Max & the substation for as long as possible. Harper had moved out following her death, the memories to much to bare for her. She was staying with an uncle on the other side of town so the only time her and Max could talk was during school and that was limited to small conversations in the hall. Her death had even effected people at school but she didn't want to dwell on that nor the fact that a mural was made in honor of her down at her old hang out in the old train station. No one dared disrespect her mural their because it was one of the few comforts her little brother had. Max would often go sit and stare at the mural after school until Mom showed up to take him home. It was heart wrenching the way Max was going through his days, and there was nothing Alex could do for him right now. She sighed as she stroked his cheek again, she wished that she could take away his pain and shield him from his own self.

Alex looked up as her mother approached and kneeling down before her grave and Max she let out a gentle sob before throwing her head back and looking up at the sky.

"Why? Why did you have to take her?" Her mother sobbed tears falling down her eyes.

Alex watched as Connie picked up Max's fragile frame and carried him back to the house.

Max woke up to his mother shaking him gently awake.

"It's time for school sweetie." She said gently.

Max nodded but said nothing as his mother left the room to let him get changed. Max pulled on some clothes before heading out to the hall stopping in front of Alex's door he sighed before walking downstairs to the living room. His Dad was sitting as far as he could from his Mother, they had been fighting again. Theresa wanted to send Max to see a therapist but Jerry insisted it wasn't necessary. Max just sat between the two and played around with the food in his plate for a minute before dropping his fork and grabbing his bag.

"Max, Sweetie aren't you hungry?" Theresa asked.

"No." Max mumbled before walking toward the stairs.

He sighed as he saw the worried and hurt expression on her face in a reflection but he didn't stop. He walked all the way to school in silence.

"Hey Max, how are you holding up?" Harper asked when she spotted him.

Max looked at her and frowned.

"Fine." He muttered.

"It's not getting any easier is it?" Harper asked as she walked beside him.

"No, Harper. Alex was the only person I could really talk to. She may have been rude and sneaky but she understood." Max said.

"You've really changed Max. Before she died you would never have said anything like that. It would have been random babble." Harper said with a faint smile.

Max forced a smile to appease Harper but the truth was he couldn't bring himself to truly smile, Alex had been the heart of their family and it had been torn away. Max had seen Alex as his support line, she knew everything about him and helped him cope, he had a way to vent all his frustration and pain. Now though it was building up because he had no one who could understand. His mom wouldn't be able to help no matter how accepting she might be and his Dad was more likely to avoid the problem all together. Justin wasn't around anymore and Harper was just as broken as he was. Alex had always been able to understand and accept him, she just got him.

"How are you Max?" The counselor asked as she spotted him.

"Fine." Max said before walking past her toward his class.

He could sense her look of pity on his back but ignored it and went about his day as normal. After school he walked down to Alex's old hang out and sat in his usual spot looking at the large painting of Alex. It was a picture of her painting her initials on the wall of the old station a smile on her face Her hair pulled up in a ponytail and her clothes splattered in paint.. The longer her watched it the more convinced he became that she was standing in front of him smiling as he told her about his day at school like they used to.

"Hey you okay?" A voice asked pulling Max out of his thoughts.

"I'm fine." Max grumbled.

"You must be Max. Her little brother." The voice said.

Max turned to see a man standing just beside him.

"Yeah." Max said before turning back to look at the mural.

"You should head home, you've been sitting here for three hours straight. I'm pretty sure she'd be upset if you just sit here like this." The man said.

Max mumbled something under his breath but stood when he noticed his Mom walking toward him.

"Come Miho." She said placing and arm around his shoulders and leading him to the car.

"We need to talk Max." Theresa said.

"About what?" Max asked.

"We're moving, just me and you."

Max looked at his mom who had tears running down her eyes but didn't respond. Any one who knew his family could see this was coming and it came as no shock to him, his only regret was that they would be leaving behind most of Alex's things.

End Chapter...

A/N: This story was a request from a friend, and I'm not fully sure I can pull this off. I'm highly uncomfortable with the idea of death. I also have doubts I can pull off writing from the point of view of this Max. I've been asking friends how they would react to the situations I've covered in this story and based this on their answers. I really hope no one takes offense and if they do I am truly sorry if anything I've written comes across as hurtful,


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